World Record: 6.11m Sergey Bubka, United Team Dijon, France 13th June 1992
Olympic Record: 5,90m Sergey Bubka, Soviet Union Seoul, South Korea 28th September 1988
By 1992 Sergey Bubka had won three world titles, and was the reign-
ing Olympic Champion. One of five to clear 5.60 in the qualifying,
Bubka waited until his usual starting height of 5.70 until entering.
Grand Prix events tend not to insist upon a maximum of two minutes
for each jump, but championships do, and Bubka found the rule too
hurried for his taste. After two failures he passed to 5.75, and failing to
select a stiff enough pole, he missed, causing the biggest shock of the
’92 Games.
Only four men did better than 5.70, with García winning Spain’s first
ever field event medal. The Spaniard and Tarpenning, a Paris-based
American jumper, both failed at 5.80 with the American being unfairly
booed by the Spanish crowd. Tarasov cleared 5.80 to win the gold,
while the other fair haired Russian, Igor Trandenkov, cleared on his
final attempt. Both men tried 5.90, but only Tarasov was close.
Qualification
Mark 5.60m. 6 Athletes passed the Mark. Next 8 were added to Final. Virtual mark 5.55m.